Electronic devices, such as smart phones, digital music players, compact disc players, cellular phones, have exploded in popularity over the last twenty years. These electronic devices have become smaller and more portable, which has allowed users to take the devices everywhere. The portable electronic device can be worn by the user at their waist, strapped to their arm, or within a jacket or pants pocket. Typically, the speaker systems on the portable electronic devices are not powerful enough to allow users to enjoy playing sounds using the speaker. Instead, users frequently use detachable headphones, ear buds, or earphones, which plug directly into the portable electronic device.
Unfortunately, using loose and detachable earphones cause several problems, including that the wires get tangled with the user, the user's clothing, or the user's environment. This results in the earphone wires getting pulled out of the portable electronic device or the ear phones being pulled out of the ears of the user. Additionally, the loose wires are generally unsightly to the chosen fashion of the user.
In an attempt to corral the wires and prevent the unsightly and unfashionable appearance of the wires, many users try to hide the earphone wires by placing them underneath an article of clothing. But this solution causes more problems than it solves because the wires are even more easily pulled out of the ears or portable electronic device by a movement of the user. Further, when the wires are pulled out, the user must fish around under their clothing to retrieve the end of the wire or the earphones. In addition, when the user wants to remove the ear phones for a brief moment, the ear phone is left dangling, in an unsightly manner, on the outside of the clothing. Finally, although putting the wires underneath an outer garment, like a sweatshirt or jacket, might provide some benefit to the user, wearing the wires next to the skin, underneath a single layer garment, such as a t-shirt, is simply not comfortable. As such, hiding the wires underneath clothing is not a practical solution, especially in warm weather, when the user is not wearing an outerwear garment.
Several references disclose products that have attempted to solve the problem of unsightly and unruly dangling earphone wires. For example, U.S. Published Patent Application Number (USPPAN) 2010/0329499, filed by Wolfe, and U.S. Pat. No. (USPN) 7,519,192, issued to Laycock, disclose and claim a hooded sweatshirt with drawstrings, wherein the earphone wires are incorporated into a channel, tube, “passageway,” or casing that is attached to the interior of the garment. FIG. 4 of the Wolfe application shows tube 42, which contains the wires 16. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the Laycock patent show that the wires are contained within “passageways” 126, 134, and 136. Both the Wolfe and Laycock earphones themselves are disclosed and claimed as being at the end of, and contained within, the hood's drawstrings. As such, when the user is listening to music using these products, it looks as if the user, rather oddly, has the drawstrings stuck into his or her ears. Therefore, the Wolfe and Laycock references offer a relatively silly looking solution to the problem and they fail overcome all of the problems with having loose head phone wires. Importantly, the Wolfe and Laycock references also fail to disclose a garment that has an integrated earphone and microphone wire set for use with a cellular phone or smart phone.
Another example of a garment that attempts to solve the problem of loose earphone wires is U.S. Pat. No. (“USPN”) 7,673,348, issued to Williams. Williams discloses and claims a garment with “sleeve” portion that is configured from an additional swatch of material that is attached to a standard garment. This sleeve portion is itself unsightly, unfashionable, and clearly visible. Additionally, Williams does not disclose that the earphone and earphone wires are integrated into the garment, or that the earphones may be left attached to the garment when the garment is washed. As such, Williams fails to provide a complete and fashionable solution to the problem of loose earphone wires.
USPPAN 2006/0075537, filed by Tsai, discloses and claims a jacket with various pockets and slots that hold a portable electronic device and allow for passage of earphone wires. The Tsai jacket essentially solves the loose wire problem by cutting holes in the jacket and running the wires through the holes. Tsai does not disclose that the earphone and earphone wires are integrated into the garment, or that the earphones may be left attached to the garment when the garment is washed. As such, Tsai fails to provide a complete and fashionable solution to the problem of loose earphone wires.
There is no reference or currently available garment that includes integrated earphones and an earphone wire that is fashionable, machine washable and dryable, and wherein the wires are virtually undetectable by the garment wearer.
Thus, what is needed is a garment that provides a complete, functional, and fashionable solution to incorporating concealed earphone wires into any article of clothing and that does not require the addition of a tube, or excess material passageway and wherein the wire is virtually undetectable by the wearer of the garment.